SC seeks report from Centre on Uniform Civil Code

The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to file before it the report of a committee which was constituted earlier to look into the aspects of personal laws relating to marriage, divorce and custody prevalent in various religious minorities, including Muslims. This is seen as a step closer to evolving a uniform civil code for the country. A bench comprising Chief justice T S Thakur and Justice U U Lalit asked Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, to submit the report within six weeks in the court. The bench also asked the Ministry of Minority Affairs to file its response to the petition filed by one Shayara Bano challenging the constitutionality of Muslim practices of polygamy, triple talaq (talaq-e-bidat) and nikah halala. The petitioner has also challenged the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939, saying that it fails to provide Indian Muslim women with protection from bigamy. Meanwhile, the bench directed the apex court registry to make available within six weeks the copy of judicial records of a petition on the issue. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had sought response of the Centre on Bano's plea challenging constitutionality of Section 2 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937.